Heroes of Moga V - Speaking with the Sea Emperor
A full day had passed since the Great Jaggi hunt in Moga Woods. Phisto and his friends had not been expecting such a tough battle, and their state of exhaustion ranged from simply tired to just plain tuckered out. Luckily, the Chief assured them that there weren't any more troublesome monsters romping around the woods (yet...), and told them to get a good night's rest. A large cabin, big enough for the three of them, had been cleared out while they had been out hunting, and the Chief told them that it was theirs alone to use. The three friends were truly thankful for a comfortable place to sleep after months of camping under or sometimes in trees, and fell asleep almost immediately. But now, Junior was taking them up to a huge oceanic cliff on the main part of the island that overlooked Moga Village. No longer tired, the three hunters were very much enjoying the crisp, salty air and the distant roar of the waves against the base of the cliff. It took about two hours to walk all the way to the destination Junior had in mind. The end of the cliff rose at a steep incline, forming a huge hill right at the edge. At the top of the hill, at least forty feet in diameter, was a gigantic crater - steam vents in the sides of the crater spewed small amounts of hot air that, when all hissing at once, belched up a massive cloud of steam that erupted from the crater. It was like a dormant volcano. When Phisto reached the edge, he peered down and instantly felt dizzy. Although the crater was certainly high up above sea level, he had no doubt that this hole plunged deep below the ocean's surface. He gulped and drew away from the hole, over to where his friends and Junior stood. "Let me give you a little history lesson, kids," Junior said, sweeping his arm to indicate the hill on which they stood. "About thirty-three years ago, give or take - before I was born - Moga Village was destroyed by a terrible, malicious Elder Dragon. It was said to be pure evil, death given form, and all that. The villagers managed to escape with their lives as the village was swept into the briny deep. When the dragon had left, its destructive work done, they came back and rebuilt. Thanks to them, my father especially, there was a home for me to be born into." He turned around and stared at the crater intensely. "And then, only two years ago, the monster came back to afflict us with terrible earthquakes. This time, though, a hunter came by just in time to chase the Elder Dragon away. It swam off to sea, and no one has seen it since. Same with the hunter - he left as quietly and mysteriously as he had come. No one has forgotten that hunter, who saved us before our village could be destroyed again. Who knows, without him, then that giant dragon might have just kept coming back." Junior turned around again to face the three teenagers, spellbound with his story. "Now, I have a favor to ask of you three," he said seriously, and their attention never wavered from him. "There's a mysterious new monster in Moga Woods that I'm sure you saw yesterday. I'm absolutely certain it's the one behind all the monster outbreaks." Phisto nodded, remembering that great claw that had claimed the Great Jaggi. "Once again, we have a monster problem here in Moga Village," Junior continued, "and once again, there are hunters here to end it. Can you three kids promise me, swear to me, that you will do whatever you can to save Moga Village from destruction? Even if that Elder Dragon decides to return again - which I doubt it will - can I, can the village, count on you to defend the village from certain doom?" Phisto looked to his friends for their answer. Both had unreadable expressions on their faces. But finally, they dipped their heads in an unmistakable nod. Phisto turned to Junior and gave their final answer. "Yes," he replied. "Yes, you can count on us to protect Moga Village, no matter the threat." Junior broke into a huge, relieved smile. "Thank you, kids," he said gratefully. "You have no idea how relieving it is to have hunters on our side once more." Now there was really nothing more to do than to relax and enjoy the view and fresh air that the huge sea cliff provided. As he gazed out at the magnificent view, Phisto remembered reading about the Great Oceanic Cliff that supposedly graced the western coastline of the Central World. And to think it's supposed to be even bigger than this cliff, he mused. I can't even imagine such enormity. In his wonderment, Phisto hadn't even noticed he had been walking forward until he reached the edge of the great pit before him. He gasped and stumbled back a pace as he suddenly faced the massive, yawning chasm that belched steam into the air. "Phisto, get back!" Morgana cried. "It isn't safe, kid!" Junior called urgently, motioning him back toward the group. The boy would have definitely obeyed - and paid attention to - their shouts, if not for the mysterious noise that surged up from the depths of the abyss. It was a huge, wailing cry that was almost melodic. Phisto froze, spellbound at the strange song. So hypnotized was he by its alien and terrible beauty that he didn't notice the ledge on which he stood starting to fracture. And then he was ripped from his hypnosis when the edge of the ledge, so to speak, suddenly gave way. Rapidly, and yet slowly, Phisto plunged deep into darkness even as he heard Morgana scream his name. He fell for what seemed like forever. The chasm he was falling into rapidly dimmed as he plummeted deep into the hole. Suddenly, Phisto smelled salt and realized that he was quickly approaching water - deep, dark water. Phisto held his breath and kept his legs straight, and he shot down like a spear. Just as he predicted, he hit water, and he did so relatively safely. The splash was minimal as he plunged beneath the waves and was immersed in salty water. He had done so many times before on past adventures, but something about this water seemed different. Obviously, it was dark. But it was also pleasantly warm - not as hot as the waves of the Tainted Sea, but very relaxing after the stress of his previous fall. Phisto swam for the surface, and broke it with a gasp. All he could see of the crater above was a tiny speck. A beam of sunlight streamed down and hit the exact center of the water's surface. There in the light was a flat rock pillar, whose peak poked above the lapping waves and whose base was probably buried miles below the surface. Phisto exhaustedly swam to the edge of the rock and hauled himself up. Instantly, he felt something engraved under his hand, and looked down at the stone. There were engravings cut into the rock, looking almost like writing, and he could tell that they were indescribably ancient. The teenager wondered where he could be. He remembered reading about ancient ruins deep below the surface of Moga Island - perhaps that was where he was. The Guild called them the Underwater Ruins. I really should opt change that name, Phisto snorted skeptically, despite the gravity of the situation. Despite the deep darkness that suffused the cavern, except for Phisto's little spotlight, he could dimly see a golden glimmer on the water. No, below it, he corrected himself. The gold is coming from under the surface. Could there be treasure buried in these ancient ruins? Just then, the water roiled, and the cavern seemed to shudder. Phisto fought to keep his balance, lowering onto all fours and clutching the pillar with his hands. But then it seemed the golden glow was everywhere, glimmering beneath the surface. What was going on? Phisto leapt back with a shout of terror as the water suddenly burst, and a mighty head erupted from the depths. The boy, through his fear and shock, could see that the huge monster was covered in golden scales. Its horns were bigger than Aptonoth and completely obscured its eyes, rendering it completely blind. The creature's chin was covered in magnificent yellow fur. It opened its cavernous mouth and gave a melodious bellow that reverberated in Phisto's ears, shaking him to his core. "No, this isn't possible," Phisto muttered as the great, golden monster dove beneath the waves once more and slowly began to circle his pillar. "You're just a myth! There's no such thing as the legendary Goldbeard Ceadeus!" Hearing these words, the Elder Dragon once again rose to breach the surface, continuing to swim. It opened its mouth once again and this time, the song it sang came to Phisto as decipherable language. "Well then, I guess yeh could say that yer fall ta this depth was just a figment of yer imagination, eh?" it asked rhetorically. "I assure yeh, I'm a flesh an' blood monster, an' indeed, me name is Goldbeard Ceadeus. Goldbeard fer short, if yeh must." It was the meeting with the Dire Miralis all over again. Phisto was completely shocked at the fact that this huge beast could speak his language. He supposed, if the legends were true, that Goldbeard was one of the truly ancient Elder Dragons that had existed when war was nothing but a bad dream and peace reigned between humans and monsters. But just then, Phisto remembered Junior's story, and a deep suspicion took hold of him. "You're the evil that destroyed Moga Village, aren't you," the boy whispered. His quiet voice echoed in the cavern, clear to Goldbeard's ears. At those words, the Elder Dragon stopped swimming and gave a short roar of protest. The Ceadeus turned to face the pillar and thrust his face close. It seemed to Phisto as if those horns took up the entire world. "Are yeh mad, laddie?" Goldbeard said, keeping his voice quiet so Phisto wouldn't be blown off of the pillar. "Me lifespan indeed goes way back ta the good ol' days, where humans an' monsters lived in perfect harmony. But no, 'twas not I that had the indecency ta destroy Moga. Tha' beast was not golden like I, he was silver as the moon. Aye, but his spirit was not nearly as pure. Acedor was his name, and he was more evil than the barbarians that invoked the Imperadrome's wrath. Not a monster was he, but a spirit of destruction tha' tainted the very waters he touched." Phisto was spellbound. It was only in books that recited the old legends from which he had heard the name "Imperadrome". The Emperor of all Bird Wyverns was the one that had declared war on humankind. He might have heard the name "Acedor" spoken here and there as well, but he couldn't remember what it meant or whom it belonged to. Goldbeard was silent for a long time. Then he opened his mouth and released a hypnotic song that washed over Phisto. When he was finished with his song, he spoke once more. "Although I am blind in these here eyes," he said, "I am still able ta see far. Me songs enable me ta see more than any wyvern tha' flies in the yonder. An' what me song reveals is tha' yer the spittin' image of yer father." If Phisto was shocked before, now he was overwhelmed. "My... father...?" he murmured, staring into Goldbeard's face. "Aye, yer father indeed," he confirmed with a nod. "A noble person of great valor, he was. When hunters threatened ta slaughter me in this very cavern, it was he who came to me aid. Taka was his name." Phisto was dumbstruck by this point. How is it that every Elder Dragon I talk to - which is amazing in itself - knows who my father is? Just who is he? Phisto thought. And indeed, this is what he asked Goldbeard. "Who is my father? How is it that all the Elder Dragons seem to know who he is?" Goldbeard's alien-looking face broke into a slight smile. "Yer father is a legend," he replied. "Taka is known by all us monsters as the bein' who'll bring peace between us an' the humans. The Mysterious Beyond and the Central World have already stopped warrin'. Rumor has it, laddie, that yer father stopped the war in the Nameless as well." When were the day's surprises going to end? "Taka was spoken of in an ancient prophecy made by me good friend, the White Fatalis," Goldbeard went on. "Though I ain't one ta believe in such codswallop, I hafta believe it. All us monsters, whether we're Jaggis or Lagiacrus or Elder Dragons, believe in this prophecy, and hope tha' the war'll end soon." Phisto tried to speak, but had been rendered speechless. Goldbeard grinned at this and began to sink back once more into the depths. "Time fer me ta go, laddie," the Elder Dragon said softly. "Jus' sit tight till yer friends come an' rescue ya. I know they're comin'. May the seas always be favorable fer ya." And with that, the Goldbeard Ceadeus gave a wailing cry and plunged beneath the waves, leaving only a faint gold shimmer to decorate the waves. Phisto looked up as something faintly touched his head. It was a rope, dangling all the way down here from the lip of the crater. He could hear a faint shout from the very top. Numb over what he had just heard, Phisto grabbed onto the rope and held on tight, tugging it to let his friends know that he had grabbed on. As he began to be pulled up bit by bit, Phisto couldn't help staring down at the dark waves beneath him. What the Ceadeus had said was mind-blowing, and unnerving as well. My dad is a legend, the Imperadrome exists, and an evil spirit destroyed Moga. What else am I going to learn? And what am I going to do with this knowledge? Phisto was silent as he kept staring at the water, deep in contemplation. ---- A full half hour passed before Phisto was pulled up onto solid ground. Immediately, Junior and his friends slumped to the ground, exhausted from their efforts. Phisto scrambled away from the crater from which he had come and ran to their side. He saw that the rope they had used to save him was gigantic, and had been tied around a massive boulder for support, allowing them to pull him up more effectively. "Don't... ever... do that... again..." Catry moaned, staggering to his feet. "I'm a strong guy, but there's only so much pulling I can take..." Phisto offered his hand to help him up, only to have Catry decline and stand up on his own. "We had to tie together every rope in the village," Junior said, sitting up and pointing at the rope - indeed, it had been made from dozens of smaller ropes. "Do us all a favor, kid, and take your friend's advice. Don't go falling into any more chasms, alright?" Phisto forced a grin and nodded, offering his hand to Junior next. The man accepted it, and Phisto hauled him up onto his feet with a bit of effort. Then suddenly, Morgana was there, hugging him tightly around the neck. "You had me so worried," she said into his shoulder. Phisto blushed with embarrassment and replied, "Well, I'm safe now. I won't do anything so stupid from now on, I promise." Even so, it was a minute before Morgana let go of him. Phisto smiled encouragingly at her, and she smiled at him right back. "Well, lovebirds," Junior said, making the hunters flush bright pink, "I think it's time we head back to Moga Village. We've had enough excitement for one day, don't you think?" Everyone nodded and followed him back down the cliff to their new home. Of the three of them, only Phisto looked back at the cliff. When he did, he could faintly see a huge, horned creature breach the surface of the ocean in the far distance. The sun glimmered gold off of its hide. Phisto gave the sight the first genuine smile since his rescue, before following his friends back to the village. ---- To be Continued... Heroes of Moga VI - A Bad Day for Hunting Category:Fan Fiction Category:Cottonmouth255